Fertilizer-distributer.



J. BLUE.

FBRTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1911.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

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Witnesses Attorneys,l

n erase fil ranrrLrznanisrninnrnn.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Ang. i, i911.

Application filed May 15, 1911. Serial No. 627,264.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it kno-wn that I, JOHN BLUE, a citizen of-t-he United States, residing at Laurinburg, in the countyy of Scotland and State of -North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Fertilizer-Distributer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in fertilizer distributers, the primary object of the invention being the provision o-f an agitator disposed in the hopper and adapt-- ed to have its terminals, engaged by and in turn engage a feed-screw Vrotatably mounted in the bottom of the hopper in such a inanner as to effectively agitate the fertilizer within the hopper', and prevent the adhesion of the same to the shaft and blades of the feed-screw.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a feed-screw and rotatable agitator operated by and co-aeting therewith, said agitator having a series of radially eX- tending arms having each two feed-screw straddl'ing terminals, and With curved connecting portions between the arms inter mediate o-f the terminals and hub of the agitator, whereby a forked end is provided noon each arm, and thereby provides a wider means at the terminals of each arm to agitate the fertilizer at the bottom of the hopper above the feed-serew- W ith the foregoing'and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the oombinat-ion and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the lprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is an elevation of a fertilizer distributer constructed according to and embodying this invention, the hopper and rear portion beingin long1- tudinal section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation of a port-ion of the hopper with the feed-screw and agitato-r in operable relation. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line X-X of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main frame ofthe machine, having the handle 2 and its brace 3, connected thereto. Mounted for rotation in the forward end of the frame is the earth engaging power wheel or disk e, whose power transmounted therebelow to carry or distribute the fertilizer to the desired point to be worked in. by the covering shovels 3.

Carried upon and rotatable with the shaft 7withinthe hopper 8 and its bottom 9, is

a feed-screw 12, correspondingly tapered in p contour to the bottom 9, and having the cylindrical portions 12 and the spiral rim or fiange 12, thus providing a means to re.- eeive the fertilizer between the eonvolutions of the rim, and by the rotation of the feed.

serew, to feed thefertilizer rearwardly and out of the outlet 10 of the hopper.

As is often the case, the fertilizer will cake, and therefore will not be properly fed out of the hopper, and to properly agitate the fertilizer, and prevent its caking within the hopper, and even its adherence to the feed-screw, the agitator A, is provided, said.

agitator being mounted vertically and longitudinally within the hopper 8, above the feed-screw, and toward the outletl end thereof. This agitator is carried by and rotatable with the shaft 13, mounted in the trunnions 13", secured to the sides of the hopper, and forming closed journals for the ends of the shaft 13. The hub 14;, of the agitator is keyed to the shaft 13, and is provided with the radial arms 15, Connected together by the inwardly curved strips 16, the said arms 15, each terminating beyond the strips 16, in the forked end, or two members 17 and 18,. said members being curved or bent one slightly in the rear of the other, as shown Figs. 1 and 2, and thereby conforming to the curvature of the rim or flange 12, when the forked end is in engagement with said rim 12 and straddlesthe cylindrical portion 12,of the feed-screw between the portions of the rim, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By this means, itwill be seen thatv as the feed-screw 12 is rotated, that the successive forked ends 17 and 1S, of the radial arms of the agitator, will be brought into the path of the convolute flange 12 of the feed-screw, and the rubbing action thereof' against the rea-r surfaces of the bent or curved to oonfi 'm toA the shape'of both the cylindrical port.on,12 and the face of the convolute ian'gev 'i2-f', thus insuring the proper movement of the agitator toward. the front of thev machine,-and within the hopper, and thereby insuring an even agitation of the fertilizer withinthe hopper and feedingnthrough the outlet 10.

As shown in Fig, 2, the forward portion of the member 17 and the rear portion ofl the member 18, are approximately the same distance from a radial line drawn from the' axis of the agitator through .the center of the members arm 15,this being desirable to accomplish the result.

What is claimed, is l 1. A fertilizer distributer, having a rotatable feedsscrew, and an agitator having a series .of forked ends radially disposed and adapted to engage the said feed-screw so that the saidfeed screw will actuate the agltator. t

2. A fertilizer distributer, having a,hop per with an outlet, a feed-screw rotatably mounted in the lower end thereof to feed the fertilizer through the outlet, and an agitator rotatably mounted in the .hopper above the feed-screw and provided with radially disposed arms terminating in a fork, said forkof each 'arm being adapted. to engage the feed-screw and be rotated thereby.

3. A fertilizer distributor, having a hopper, a feed-screw extending from the forward end of the bottom. of the hopper and beyond the rear end thereof, and an agita- .tor rotatably mounted within the hopper above the feed-screw, said agitator having a series o f connected radially disposed arms with forked terminals, said forked terminals being in the path of and in operable engage.- ment with the feed-screw.

et. A fertilizer distributor, having a hopper, a feed-screw extending longitudinally of the bottom of the hopper, and an agitator mounted for rotation within the hopper, said agitator eomprising a series of radially disposed arms, equi-distant apart and provided "with forked. terminals, said forked terminals being in the path of the feed-screw.

5. A fertilizer distributer, having a hopper, a feed-sorewhaving a convolute flange mounted within'the bottom of the hopper, and an agitator rotatably mounted within the hopper above the feed-screw, said agitator havinga series of 'radial y disposed arms carryingl forks, the members of which extend transversely of the hopper and in the path of feedfscrew, said. forks being adapted to 'en-gage the eonvolute flange of the feedscrew and form a means to scrape the-flange and to receive motion from `the feed-screw.

G. A fertilizer distributer, 'raving a hopper, said hopper having va tapered bottom of reduced transverse area, 'a feed-screw rotatably mounted for longitudinal feeding in said reduced portion of the hopper, and an agitator rotatably mounted in the hopper above the feed-screw and having a series of;

radially disposed arms, each of which terminates in forked terminals, the extension of the' forks being transversely of the; lhopper and adapted to travel in the path ofia'nd be engaged by the feed-screw.

7. A fertilizer distributor, havinga hopf per, a feed-screw having a convoluted ange and intervening cylindrical portions and rotatably mounted in said hopper, and an agii tator having a series of radially disposed arms, inwardly curved strips connecting the arms intermediate of their ends, and two curved members at the extreme ends of each arm forming a fork, the said mem. ers of eachfork having their terminals bent out of line in opposite directions from the center radial line of its respective arm.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiiXed my signature in thel presence of two witnesses.

hi JoHN BLUE.

p mark l/Vitnesses FRANK B. OCHSENREITER, C. E. DoYLE. 

